State pays Avoyelles School Board $92K for use of buses during Barry

For the Avoyelles Parish School Board, there was a little bit of sunshine in the recent rainy days.

APSD Transportation Supervisor Brent Whiddon told the board’s Bus Committee that 26 buses -- 25 district buses and one from LaSAS -- were sent to South Louisiana to aid in evacuating people threatened by Hurricane Barry.

The board learned it really is true that it pays to be a good neighbor. In this case, it pays $92,231.88 -- which is what the state is paying for the 92.5 hours it used the buses in hurricane relief efforts.

Whiddon said the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness called on the afternoon of July 10 to ask if the parish would be willing to help if needed. He said APSD would be glad to help, as it has in the past.

On the morning of July 11, Whiddon received a call asking that the buses move out Friday.

The buses were sent to Ascension and Lafayette parishes.

“We have assisted in the past,” Whiddon said. “This time school was not in session, so we were able to send some of our better buses. In the past, we have had to send our spares.”

Board members were very pleased with the good news. And while nobody hopes for hurricanes, board members expressed gratitude that the parish’s willingness to step up in times of emergency was appreciated -- and compensated.

Whiddon’s report came a few minutes after the Building & Lands Committee had worried about where to find about $16,000 to repair the tennis courts at Avoyelles High and to allocate $1,000 to each school for beautification and other minor maintenance efforts.

The unexpected and greatly welcome “rental” payment for the buses was cited as a possible answer to those concerns.